CARLSBAD, Calif. (March 1, 2013) -SKLZ, the industry leader in sports training products, content and programs, is working with US Youth Soccer, the nation’s largest youth sports organization, to produce a player evaluation combine for teams participating at this weekend’s US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program Championships. The combine will test a variety of players’ athletic abilities specific to soccer and take place Saturday, March 2 at FC Dallas Stadium Complex in Frisco, Texas.

As the Official Player Performance Partner to US Youth Soccer, SKLZ has developed a new soccer-specific player evaluation and assessment platform to provide players and coaches with a standardized way to assess and address their athletic strengths and weaknesses. This platform, developed with Athletes' Performance, the leading trainer of elite athletes worldwide, is fully supported with education and integrated training as a follow-up to the combine.

"US Youth Soccer has long stood as the leader in creating identification and development opportunities for America’s top youth athletes, and this weekend will mark another highlight in the continuing evolution of our association," said Todd Roby, director of marketing and communications for US Youth Soccer. "We are looking forward to providing an unprecedented testing and educational experience with SKLZ to support our athletes as they pursue play at the next level."

State-level US Youth Soccer ODP Boys and Girls teams in the 1996 and 1997 age groups will play semifinal matches today, March 1, beginning at 1 p.m., with championship and consolation matches to be played Sunday, March 3 beginning at 8 a.m. Each of the 16 teams competing earned their place by winning their respective regional championship.

The combine will be offered to a number of pre-selected teams of 16 and 17 year old boys and girls from various parts of the country. SKLZ expects to evaluate more than 125 athletes over the course of the combine.

Upon completion of the event, players and coaches will be given a basic understanding as to where players rate individually and rank versus the field. SKLZ and Athletes’ Performance will in turn support all participants post-event with detailed reports, the education to interpret and correlate the data and solutions to correct key areas with training.

"This event represents a huge milestone for SKLZ in furthering our mission and promise to US Youth Soccer," said SKLZ CEO John Sarkisian. "We’re not only delivering the best in training products and content, but now providing these young players with knowledge about their individual athletic abilities to help them better achieve their goals on and off the field."

SKLZ and US Youth Soccer plan to roll out a tour of similar player evaluation events on a national scale, further developing the assessment platform with Athletes’ Performance, with the goal of offering the ultimate in testing and training systems for US Youth Soccer players.

SKLZ is committed to elevating the athlete in each of us by guiding and serving athletes on their journeys to be their personal best. As the flagship brand of Pro Performance Sports, SKLZ develops innovative athletic performance and skill development training products, technology and knowledge for serious athletes of all ages, skill levels and sports. Based in San Diego, California, SKLZ delivers durable, high-performance trainers that can be found around the world at major sporting goods retailers, specialty shops, and mass merchants, as well as on the SKLZ web site www.sklz.com.

About the United States Youth Soccer Association (US Youth Soccer)

US Youth Soccer - "The Game for ALL Kids!®" is the largest youth sports organization in the country and largest member of the United States Soccer Federation, the governing body of soccer in the United States. US Youth Soccer registers more than 3 million players annually, ages 5 to 19, and over 900,000 administrators, coaches and volunteers in 55 member State Associations. US Youth Soccer programs provide a fun, safe and healthy environment for players at every level of the game. For more information, visit www.USYouthSoccer.org.